


Star Crossed

by LovelyJasmari



Series: Kalai Daughter of the Wind ~ One Shots [4]
Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Mutual Pining, Stargazing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, khoc week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:33:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25918903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovelyJasmari/pseuds/LovelyJasmari
Summary: Originally written for KH OC Week 2020, Iris receives a special invitation.
Relationships: Ienzo (Kingdom Hearts)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Kalai Daughter of the Wind ~ One Shots [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1872646





	Star Crossed

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So it's been a while, hasn't it? Honestly, I've still been murking through a deep depression/writers block since March and haven't had much heart to want to write until very recently. 
> 
> This is one of two new pieces I wrote for KHOC week last week and I'll be posting the other one probably Monday or Tuesday. I hope you enjoy this!

~~~

The day was coming to an end, and Iris was going through her notes one last time before deciding to call it a day. As she flipped through the pages, a folded piece of paper slipped from them and fell onto the floor. She picked it up and felt a warm sensation spread across her face as she unfolded and silently read it. 

_Meet me outside the front gates_

_Once you’re done in the lab_

_I’ll be waiting for you_

_-Ienzo_

He had left the lab earlier that evening, which seemed odd to her since he was undoubtedly the workaholic between them both, staying in the lab sometimes way past midnight. Could this note have anything to do with that? Her heart skipped several beats thinking about what such a note could mean. 

In truth, probably nothing, but she couldn’t help hoping. Though Iris saw Ienzo every day, they rarely had time to spend time together alone. Between her daily work on town maintenance and his research in completing Namine’s heart, they were frequently kept busy and when they did interact, they were always surrounded by others in the castle. 

She had liked him for a long time and she had begun to sense that he might like her as well. And it was her secret hope that maybe this note meant that maybe she would have the chance to be alone with him, without being subject to the scrutinizing look of the other apprentices or the teasing grins of her sisters. 

Thankfully Iris was the only person in the lab at the moment. Being able to slip out without notice would be easy enough, making her way outside the castle would be another thing. But at that moment she felt giddy enough to want to try. 

She knew Dilan and Aeleus would likely still be guarding the front doors and she knew if they knew where she was going, they’d insist that one of them go with her. She felt it would then be easier to leave from the east gate, but once she was there, her heart stopped when she peeked out the window and saw her eldest sister guarding that door as well. This was the quickest way to the front without using the front doors but Kalai would surely be even more inquiring if she caught sight of her. 

_Darnit Ienzo! Why couldn’t we meet somewhere IN the castle?!_

As she thought about how to try getting out next, Iris realized that she was standing by a long mirror. She looked at herself for a few moments, there wasn’t time to change but she decided to pull off her reading glasses, hoping to appear more girlish and less bookish. Somehow she could see the anticipation shining in her eyes. 

“Iris, what are you...?” 

She was pulled from her thoughts when she suddenly remembered that Kalai was still at the door. Now she was standing right in front of her, looking at her with interest. Iris rummaged through her mind to find a suitable explanation, praying that the look she wore wasn’t betraying her. 

“Sis! I...I…”

“Done in the lab for the day?”

“Oh yes! Things are going well, Namine should be awake in a few days!”

“That’s wonderful, but what are you up to right now?”

“Right now?” her heart was pounding so hard that she was sure her sister could hear. “Right now...I’m just…I thought I’d go out and get some air. Is that alright?”

“It’s alright with me, but it’s getting dark and…” Kalai noticed how she was clutching her glasses and holding them to her chest. “Why do you seem so…”

She didn’t know exactly what she was going to say, but the look in Iris’ eyes told her that she already knew. And she recalled that she had seen Ienzo leaving the castle from the south gate earlier in the evening. With all that in mind, Kalai could guess where her sister was going and felt there would be no use in interrogating her. Instead, she smiled and approached her, turning her back to the mirror. 

“Kalai...what are you…”

Kalai undid the bun keeping Iris’ hair in place, running her fingertips through the auburn locks a few times until they framed the younger girl’s face in a way that just so. 

“I’m not gonna ask anything else. But if Even or Daddy or any of the others find out where you’ve been, don’t come crying to me.” The last thing Kalai did was take Iris’ glasses and slip them into her skirt pocket. “Now get a move on.”

She then turned around so that her back was facing her. Iris didn’t understand this but the way her loose hair looked made her smile. She wondered about what else to say, how to thank Kalai for understanding, but with the way her back was turned, she felt that she already knew how thankful she was. Her back was still turned when Iris finally pushed the door open and ran outside and down the steps. 

Now she was ready. 

~~~

Or so she thought. She wasn’t surprised to see Ienzo already standing at the front gates, he was if anything punctual. The moment he caught sight of her, he smiled. That sweet, endearing smile that she adored. Iris felt her heart skipping again and she bit her lip. Hadn’t she secretly hoped for this? Why did she feel herself suddenly becoming so timid?

“I take it you found my message,” he said. “I hope it wasn’t too hard slipping away.”

“Oh no! Not at all! ” she replied, trying to laugh and praying she didn’t sound as nervous as she felt. “So...why did you ask me here?”

From behind his slate-colored bangs, she saw a playful light come to his eyes that made her blush. He took one of her hands into his and lead her down the cobblestoned streets.

“There’s something I want to show you.”

By the time they had reached their destination, it was already nighttime. The first thing Iris noticed when they walked along in the outer gardens was how beautifully clear it was tonight. Stars blanketed the velvety night sky and she could even see the shimmering mist of stars that made up the Milky Way. 

That’s when she noticed the telescope in the center of the gardens. Next to it was a book that Iris had recently been missing. 

“My star almanac, I was wondering where this went.” she picked up the book, but her eyes were Ienzo. “Did you…”

“I...uh...I’m sorry,” he replied, somewhat awkwardly. “But, I know how much you like astronomy, and studying the stars.” he pulled her closer to the telescope. “I was studying your almanac and saw that the Milky Way would be visible tonight. I thought you’d like to see it from…”

“Oh!!”

Ienzo didn’t have to complete his sentence because Iris was immediately looking through the telescope. He watched her enthusiasm with warmth in his heart that he had not felt in a very long time. 

They spent the next hour taking turns at the telescope, naming the stars and constellations as their eyes came upon them. It amazed Iris just how knowledgeable Ienzo was about each and every star, for once she didn’t feel embarrassed about her love for the stars because she knew that it was something that he found interesting, and perhaps even admiring.

“Iris, have you ever heard the legend of the cowheard and the weaver girl?” she shook her head and he smiled. “It’s a story about two heavenly lovers, separated by the vast Milky Way. But once a year, they’re able to cross the galaxy and be together for one night.”

“Yes,” Iris had heard this story a long time ago but she had not remembered it until just now. She went back to the telescope and pointed out two stars located on opposite ends of the sky. “The heavenly lovers, the stars Vega and Altair.”

“Can you imagine only being able to see the one you love once a year?”

“I don’t know…” Iris hesitated, she was about to say something but thought better against it. Her face was becoming hot and she turned away from him. “But...I think if there was someone that I truly loved, I would be willing to wait as long as needed. So long as they...they…”

“Yes?”

“So long as they...loved me as well.”

“Yes, of course.”

Ienzo could sense she was becoming nervous and decided to change the subject back to the constellations. They continued like this for a while longer. Every now and then Iris noticed how Ienzo’s hand brushed against her own whenever they gazed up at the sky or looked through her book together. Eventually, they decided that it was getting late and that it would be best to return to the castle before their absence was noticed for too long. He packed up the book and telescope and helped her to her feet. 

“You aren’t cold are you?” he asked. “I know it’s a little chilly tonight.”

Iris shook her head and took the book from him and began walking back towards the town. As she walked, she felt something warm enfold her. She turned to Ienzo and realized that he had given her his lab coat. Blush shot up her face and she tried to take it off but he stopped her with a little smile.

“Keep it, until we return to the castle. I don’t mind.” 

She nodded and pulled the coat closer to her, the faintest trace of his scent on the coat made her blush again.

“Thank you, Ienzo,” she said at last. “Not just for giving me your coat, but also for...I mean…”

“No, thank you.” he replied, “For seeing my note and letting me...well…”

Now blush covered his face as both of them seemed to struggle with putting their thought into words. But words were not needed, they understood each other well and continued walking. There was silence between them as they walked back through the gates and up the stairs, but Iris didn’t mind. Her heart was fit to burst any moment with how happy she was. Not even in her silliest daydreams could she have imagined such a wonderful night. 

What made it all the more special was just how unexpected it all was. She was sure that she had not yet told Ienzo about her astrological passion, how he had discovered it was a mystery but the fact that he had gone out of his way like this showed that he cared about her interests. Perhaps this could be yet a closer step to him caring about her, in the way she cared about him, that’s what she hoped anyway. 

~~~

**Author's Note:**

> I swear one day I will write about these adorable nerds actually getting together and not just wanting to be together. In the meantime, forward your dental bills due to the ungodly amount of sweetness in the comments below. XD


End file.
